Brian Dooher assesses Tyrone's post-Killarney reboot: 'You had to doubt yourself'

Brian Dooher is hoping to join Kevin Heffernan, Tony Hanahoe, Billy Morgan and Páidí Ó Sé in an elite group of men who have captained and managed their county to All-Ireland glory

Lessons do not come much harsher than Tyrone's defeat to Kerry in June.

Buoyed by an attacking philosophy under the new regime, the Red Hands threw caution to the wind throughout the National League, but ran into a rampant Kingdom outfit in Killarney. David Clifford and Co tore through the Tyrone defence, winning 6-15 to 1-14.

Brian Dooher and Feagal Logan's team were left facing the long trip home with their tails firmly between their legs.

"You had to doubt yourself. It was a meltdown, more or less, systems failure everywhere," Dooher reflects.

"It wasn't what you expect, what we expect, what the players expect. We had to look at ourselves, what the hell was going on with us? Players also had to look at themselves, and thankfully they did. They took the learning on board, stood up and said 'This wasn't right, that wasn't right, should have done this, that, and whatever.'

"Ideally you wouldn't like to go that far to get those learnings. It was fairly chastening now.

"[The mood] was low to say the least. It was embarrassing, to concede six goals and it could have been a lot more than six in all honesty. Half of what they missed as well would have had them up into double figures probably so it was definitely a big wake-up call for us and the players."

Fast forward 11 weeks and they turned the result around, prevailing over Kerry after extra-time in the All-Ireland semi-final.

So how did they execute such a crescendo?

"It put us right back to the drawing board again but probably looking back on that now we probably weren't as bad as that, we'd a very bad day," Dooher said.

"We probably weren't as good as where we thought we were or we were somewhere in between it, that's always the way. There's always room for improvement whatever day you go out, you're never the finished article.

"We looked at the game, analysed the game, showed the players it and started the process of putting the things we had done wrong [and] right.

"That's what we have done after every game. We have made mistakes. Against Kerry, they really punished us for mistakes. Them mistakes were made probably in earlier games only the team we were playing against didn't punish us as well. That's the thing about Kerry, they will punish you. It's the same, when you get to this level, if you make mistakes, you don't really get a second chance now."

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Highlights of Tyrone's semi-final win over Kerry

First-season bounce

Tyrone are one win away from their first All-Ireland title since 2008. After Mickey Harte's 18-year reign came to an end in 2020, are the Ulster side enjoying a first-season bounce under the new management?

"I suppose time will tell. People might say that, write about it, who knows?" Dooher pondered.

"I supposed you come in and there is maybe a freshness, something different, I don't know. When Mickey came into us in 2003, it worked for us.

"I think it's the players, maybe they realised they have a point to prove again, and maybe they're out to prove a point to everybody. They want to get on the team, there's a whole freshness from that perspective, maybe.

"The boys have been fairly good, they have responded well to our training, coaches have come in, Joey, Collie, and Pete, and training's good, they're enjoying it. Hopefully we can take another step."

Dooher addresses the media ahead of the All-Ireland final

But they never viewed it as a rebuild or a long-term project.

"You don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today," said the Clann na nGael club man.

"I don't think anybody would be any different, who knows what's around the corner? Just live in the now, live in the moment and do the best we can with what we have as we have it. That's what we have done. We have taken every game at a time and try to do the best we can, come to training every night, do the best we can and see where that takes you."

The joint-manager knows they are facing a major task on Saturday evening:

"Mayo have been there or thereabouts over the last 10 years plus, they are always there, always knocking on the door, consistently they have been there. They have a phenomenal outfit the year, deservedly so.

"They held Dublin to 13 points, which a lot of people never talk about, no team ever held them near to that in normal time. That's evidence of the work-rate that they put in all around the field, not just in defence, and they put up some big scores the year as well."

Watch Mayo vs Tyrone in the All-Ireland SFC final live on Sky Sports Arena from 4pm Saturday.